Flipping through a magazine’s glossy pages, high-quality photos, and in-depth articles used to be a pleasure. Now, the magazine is dying, and in its place, we have the Internet, dozens of dedicated apps, and digital subscriptions. It’s a sprawling, messy affair that lacks charm and seems thoughtless. News curation apps like NYT Now, Flipboard, Wildcard, Timeline, BriefMe, and others have all tried to improve the way we read news on mobile devices, but only Flipboard has had much success. Apple’s News app takes another attempt at polishing up online journalism, and while it may not be revolutionary, it is lovely and a joy to use.

It’s been called Apple’s version of Flipboard, and Flipboard’s CEO isn’t happy about the comparison. Indeed, Apple News is different from Flipboard, though it does draw quite a bit of inspiration from the well-loved news reader. In some ways, Apple News is better — more organized, more cohesive, and even more attractive.

Attractive magazine-style news feeds

When you first set up Apple News, the app polls you on the publications and topics you like to read about. So if you like food, you’ll get a curated feed of content from sources like Epicurious and Grub Street. You can also select publications like CNN, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and others, including Digital Trends. The bigger the publication, the more likely it is that the layout will be optimized for Apple News. The ability to choose either topics or specific sites is nice, and similar to Flipboard. Apple News will also suggest publications and topics as it learns what you like.

There’s also a cool Explore tab, where you can find new suggestions anytime you get bored with what you’ve already got. The search tab will also bring up results quickly, and sort them into Top Hits, Topics, and Channels.

Apple’s partnered with a number of big-name publications to optimize their content for the News app, and those feeds look stunning. Other feeds from publications who haven’t worked with Apple look more generic, but they all match the Apple News look, which makes for a more cohesive and attractive news reading experience. Sometimes on Flipboard, you’ll see odd formatting, or a site will blast you with ads out of nowhere. That doesn’t happen with Apple News. It’s a more peaceful experience, whether you’re reading news from the New York Times or some weird blog.

The News app is one of the nicest apps Apple’s made in a while.

Speaking of the New York Times, it has one of the loveliest designs you’ll find on Apple News. When you open it, you’re greeting with a large picture and a link to a briefing on the most important news items. After that, you see a list of articles to choose from. If there are pictures, they’ll feature prominently at the top of the page, and you can swipe through them in a gallery without clicking on any special link. It’s flawless.

Other news outlets don’t look as polished, but in time, every single publication could look as attractive on Apple News as the New York Times. It’s just a matter of hammering out partnerships. There’s a lot of potential here, and the rest of the interface is a slick and simple.

Offline reading and social sharing

At the bottom of every article, you’ll see three buttons: the share option, favorite heart, and the bookmark. If you tap on the sharing button, you’ll see Apple’s typical sharing menu pop up with the option to AirDrop the article to someone, send it in a message, email, add to your Reminders or Notes apps, Twitter, Facebook, and more. You can, of course, copy the link, too or open it in Safari. Overall, it’s pretty easy to share articles from the News app.

Meanwhile, the bookmark button saves articles for reading offline. It’s an awesome feature that’s really useful if you have a long commute and want to get some reading done on the Wi-Fi-less train or plane. All the bookmarked articles are conveniently located in the Bookmarks section of the News app for easy access whenever you want them.

As a New Yorker whose commute typically involves irritably cursing the MTA’s spotty cell service reception as the subway passes through the many stations on the way to Queens, easy access to offline articles is a blessing. I imagine it’ll also be quite nice for long plane rides and days when my data allowance is running low.

Final thoughts

The News app is one of the nicest apps Apple’s made in a while. Other recent additions like Apple Music seem much messier in comparison, and the News app is the perfect blend of simple and sophisticated. Although it takes a lot of inspiration from Flipboard, Apple News has a nice clean look that many will find appealing, and it seems to cut out interference from ads better than Flipboard does.

It’s a welcome addition to iOS 9, and if you like to keep up on the news, it’ll be one of the few preinstalled apps you don’t thrown into the “Apple Junk” folder we all have on our phones.

Facebook now has a petition tool called Community Action. Facebook Community Actions allow users to create or support a cause. But is the feature just asking for trouble on a network already plagued by fake news and fake accounts?

Verizon launched a new deal for its smartphones aimed at encouraging customers to open a new line. If you're willing and you want two new phones, you could get a free Samsung Galaxy S9, iPhone XR, or Pixel 3.

If you’re trying to choose a new phone and you’re not sure about the merits and pitfalls of the leading smartphone operating systems, then come on in for a detailed breakdown as we pit Android vs. iOS in various categories.

Not sure what apps you should be downloading for your newfangled Windows device? Here are the best Windows apps, whether you need something to speed up your machine or access your Netflix queue. Check out our categories and favorite picks.

If you have an Apple Watch, you know how easy it is to take off the strap it came with, so why not buy yourself another one? Here, we've gathered the best Apple Watch bands we've seen so far. There's something for everyone.

The Cat S48c is a rugged smartphone that's available from Sprint. It mixes midrange specs with a huge battery wrapped in an extremely tough and protective body. If you need a phone that can survive the construction site, then this is it.

Selecting an iPad from Apple's lineup can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Our comprehensive guide should put the numbers and specs in practical, easy-to-understand terms. Find your ideal iPad with the help of our guide.

Apple quietly started selling the iPhone SE again, at even lower prices than when it was discontinued four months ago. Brand new units of the 32GB version are on sale for $249, while the 128GB version is going for $299.

A malware researcher found that 19 free Android navigation apps on the Google Play Store were nothing more than Google Maps, but with ads. One of the apps asked for a payment to remove the ads, while some of them presented security risks.

Google Maps will now start showing speed limits and speed camera locations, so that drivers will not be flagged for speeding tickets. The new features arrive to the app years after they were introduced in Waze.

These days, most people tend to favor digital messages over phone calls. We have the best messaging apps that allow you to share photos and documents, send text messages, and more with end-to-end encryption.

Samsung has been showcasing bendable display tech for a few years and now a folding smartphone might finally arrive. The Galaxy X, or perhaps the Galaxy Fold, may be the company's first example. Here's everything we know about it.